Locking mechanism for numeral-wheels



A. H. PITNEY.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR NUMERAL WHEELS, m,

APPLICATION FILED AUG,24, I920.

Patented June 21, 1921.

OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. PITNEY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO PITNEY-BOWES POSTAGE METER COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR NUMERAL-WHEELS, &c.

Continuation of application Serial No. 335,057, filed November 1, 1919.

Specification of Letters Patent.

24, 1920. Serial No. 405,634.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known? that I, ARTHUR H. PITNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stamford, in the county of Fair-field and State of'Connect-icut, have invented certain new and useful Locking Mechanism for, Numeral-lVheels, &c.; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel means for locking the numeral wheels of registering mechanisms when they have reached certain predetermined positions, so that further operation thereof will be automatically prevented until the wheels have been reset.

The present application is a. continuation of, and substitute for, my application Serial No. 335,057, filed November 1, 1919.

The invention in particular is designed for use in connection with postage meters such as are described in my Patent #1,273.793, dated July 23, 1918; and in Patent #127 831, dated August 6, 1918, to Irving C. Woodward.

The particular object of the invention is to provide novel locking mechanism of this kind adapted to successively lock the numeral wheels in such meters as they arrive at certain predetermined portions and thereby provide an additional safeguard in the operation of posta; meters.

The invention llOWCl er is capable of general use in connection with mechanism wherein a set of numeral wheels, or other like Wheels, dials, etc, are employed, and which it is desired to automatically lock, when they reach certain predetermined po sitions, or when the apparatus with which they are operatively connected has performed a predetermined number of operations.

tions and construction protection is desired.

An illustrative embodiment of this in vention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the printmg member of a postage meter similar to that shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,274,831, Augustfi, 1918, to Irving G. lVoodward, and showing the arrangement of the numbering machine and its coacting operating and l0cking mechanisms.

Fig. 2 is a. view taken on the line A-A of Flg. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a. detail, partly sectional, of the numbering machine.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the locking of parts for which pawl. In the construction shown in the drawlugs, the numbering machine and its coacting mechanism are shown mounted on a printing member or drum in the form of a cylindrical casing 1 secured to disks 2 and 3 which are rotatably supported on the shaft 1 by means of the respective hubs 5 and 6. The numbering machine comprises a plurality of numeral wheels or disks 7- which in the particular embodiment illustrated, are also type carriers, and are loosely mounted on a shaft 8 supported in the frame 9 which is secured to the disk 3. The shaft 8 is suitably cut away at 10 and 11 to permit sufiicient space for the actuating pawl 12 and retaining pawl 13. v

The actuating pawl 12 is carried on an arm 14, pivoted at its outer end to a link 15 having a roller 16 operating in the race 17 of the cam 18 fixed on the shaft 4 below the disk 2. This pawl is of the well known multi-prong type whereby at each reciprocation thereof it engages one of the notches 19 and moves the numeral wheel of lowest order one unit of movement, and when a numeral wheel arrives at zero posltlon the pawl drops 1nto a relatively deeper notch in said numeral wheel and at the next opera- I tion actuates both this numeral wheel and the numeral wheel of next order, thereby effecting the desired transfer in a well known manner.

The numbering machine herein shown is constructed substantially the same as that shown and claimed in my U. S. Patent No, 1,273,793, dated July 23, 1918, in that the actuating, mechanism therefor operates to decrease the count step by step from the numher to which it-isset down at zero. Upon reaching zero the numeral wheels or disks are locked in succession, from highest denomination downward, against further operation, by the means hereinafter described.

In the example shown the printing memher is surrounded by a casing 20 which is provided with an opening 21 through which the numeral wheels extend when in the printing position. There is also another opening in the casing (not shown) through which the numeral wheels extend when in inking position. The casing for this reason is eccentric to the shaft 4, so that during the rotation of the printing drum within the casing the numeral wheels will normally be wholly within the drum except when effecting impressions or being inked.

To provide against manipulation of the numeral wheels or when exposed at the openings a pawl 22 is pivoted on a pin 23 supported by the frame 9 and has a plurality of prongs 24 adapted for engagement with notches 25 formed in the peripheries of the members or disks 26 which may be integral with the respective numeral wheels. The pawl 22 has a shoulder 27 engaging the under side of the cam 18 and adapted to be depressed by the cam shoulder 28 for holding the prongs 24 in engagement with the respective notches in the disks 26 and thereby prevent rotation of thenumeral wheels 7 so long as the shoulder 27 remains in contact with the cam shoulder 28. A- spring 29 normally urges the pawl 22 to its retracted position.

The locking mechanism for securing the numeral wheels against further operation after they have reached a certain predetermined position includes a pawl 30 provided with a plurality of shoulders 31 which are adapted to coact with notches 32 suitably placed in each of the disks 26. The pawl 30 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 33 supported in the frame 9 and normally urged by a spring 30.1 embracing the shaft 33, to cause the shoulders 31 to bear upon the peripheries of the respective disks 26. The shoulders 31 are of relatively different lengths from left to right (Fig. 3) and the corres 'iondiug notches 32 are of relatively different depths, so that the shoulders may move farther into their respective notches as successive numeral wheels are locked.

The rear end 34 of the pawl 30 extends through an opening 35 in an arm 36 which is fast on a pin 37, by means of which the arm is pivotally supported on the crossbar 38 (Fig. 1). A lever 39 is carried by the pin 37 and its outer ends pass through slots 40 formed in the locking bolts 41 and 42 which are slidably supported on the frame 9. A.

spring 43 embraces the bolt 41' between a collar 44 secured thereto and the frame 9. The locking bolts 41 and 42 are adapted to be oppositely shifted through the action of the spring 43 and lever 39 in the manner set forth in said Woodward Patent No. 1,274,831, dated August 6, 1918. The locking bolts 41 and 42 are held in their retracted positions by the arm 36 which has a shoulder 45 that is urged to bear against the end 34 of the pawl 30 through the act-ion of the spring 43 on the lever 39.

The printing drum or cylinder is rotated by means of a clutch member 46 adapted to coact with the driving clutch member 47 which is arranged to rotate with the shaft 48. The clutch 46 is normally urged by a spring 49 to engage with the clutch member 47, and is adapted to be held out of engagement therewith by means of a. lever 50 pivoted at- 51 to a sleeve 52 carried by the disk 53. The lever 50 also has connected thereto pins 54 which are secured to the hub of the clutch member 46. The arm 36 is provided with a recess 56 which when it is held in registration with the aperture 57 extending through the disks 3 and 53, permits the plunger 58, carried by the lever 50, to move upwardly its full stroke so as not to interfere with the operation of the clutch 46. However, when the arm 36 is released by the pawl 30 the arm swings so as to cover the aperture 57 with the shoulder 59 and prevent the normal separation of the clutch mechanism.

The operation of the. device shown is as follows z-As the printing drum is rotated for imprinting stamps upon the mail matter passing through the machine, the numeral wheels are operated through the action of the pawl 12 to change the numerals at each effective operation of the machine until the count has been gradually reduced to zero.

As each numeral wheel or disk, beginning with that of the highest order, reaches its zero position the corresponding shoulder 31 on the pawl 30 engages the notch 32 in the respective disk 26 and secures said numeral wheel against further operation. The next shoulder to the right then bears upon the periphery of its respective disk 26 until the numeral wheel of next highest order arrives at its Zero position, whereupon theshoulder 31' engages the respective notch 32 and secures said second numeral wheel against further operation. As the units numeral wheel reaches zero and the shoulder 31 engages the notch 32 in the respective disle all of the numeral wheels become locked against further operatlon until the wheels have been reset.

Obviously the same mechanism could be employed, if desired, to operate the wheels in an ascending series, in which event the wheel at the extreme left would look when the figure nine (9) appeared in the proper meanest position and so on through each successive wheel, until, in this case, where five wheels are employed, they would all reach 99,999.

The movement of the pawl 30 to lock the last numeral wheel, causes the end 34 of the pawl to disengage the shoulder 45 of the arm 36. This occurs at a time when the clutch lever is shifted to elevate the clutch member 46 and thereby retract the plunger 58 from the aperture 57. As the arm 36 becomes released it is moved to the left (Fig. 2) through the action of the spring 43 elevating the locking bolt 41 and thereby causingthe lever 39 to turn the shaft 37 on which said arm is rigid. The move ment of the arm 36 to the left moves the shoulder 59 over the aperture 57 and prevents the reenga ement of the clutch d6.

When it is desired to reset the register or numeral wheels with construction shown, the printing drum and its casing are removed from the machine and sentto the post-office. Here the casing is unlocked and shifted relative to the cam. 17 in the manner described in said Woodward patent so as to permit the numeral wheels to be brought into register ing position with the opening in the casing. While they occupy such position with respect to the cam, they may be reset. In resetting, the pawl is retracted so as to cause the disengagement of the shoulder 31 from the notches 32,- this being efiected by depressing the locking bolt 41 which through the medium of the lever 39 causes the arm 36 to swing to the right (Fig. 2), whereby the curved edge 60 of the slot 35 acts on the curved edge 61 of the end 3d of said pawl and elevates said awl, thereby withdrawing the shoulders 31 f i'om the notches 32. After resetting the numeral wheels, the pawl 30 is held in its retracted position which causes the end 34, acting on the shoulder 45,- to hold the arm 36 in the position shown in Fig. 2.'

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is applicable to any kind of registering or recording mechanism employing numeral wheels or disks or the like which it is desired to look after a certain number of operations have been performed; or when the said wheels or disks reach certain predetermined relative sections; and obviously, some of the details of construction may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In registering mechanism of the character described, a plurality of numeral wheels each having a notched portion; mechanism for operating the wheels; and a'memher having means normally and continually in contact with one or more of said Wheels and arranged to successively engage the notches therein as the wheels arrive at some predetermined position, whereby said wheels are locked one at a time in such position against further operationby said operating mechanism.

2. In mechanism as set forth in'claim 1, means for preventing operation of the mechanism for operating the wheels when the last of said wheels is locked. i 3. In mechanism as set forth in claim 1, the member having a plurality of corresponding-shoulders interconnected so that one at a time said shoulders are normally urged into contact with the faces of the re spective wheels, said shoulders being adapted to engage the respective notches as each wheel arrives at some predetermined position.

4. In mechanism asset forth in claim 1, the member having a plurality of corresponding shoulders interconnected so that one at a time said shoulders are normally urged-into contact with the faces of'the respective wheels, said shoulders being adapted to engage the respective notches as each wheel arrives at some predetermined position, and means for preventing operation of the mechanism for operating the wheels when the last of said wheels is locked.

5. In mechanism as set forth in claim 1, the member consisting of a pawl having a plurality of shoulders thereon so arranged that one at a time the shoulders are successively urged into contact with the related. wheels, said shoulders being adapted to suecessively engage the notched portions in the related wheels as the wheels arrive at some predetermined position. 7 p

'6. In mechanism as set forth in claim 1, the locking member consisting of a pawl having a plurality of shoulders thereon so arranged that one at a time the shoulders are successively urged into contact with the related wheels, said shoulders being adapted to'sucoessively engage the notches in the related wheels as the wheels arrive at some predetermined position; and means for preventing operation of the mechanism for operating the wheels when the last of said wheels is locked.

7. In mechanism as set forth inclaim 1, the locking member consisting of a pawl having a plurality of shoulders thereon so arranged that one at a time the shoulders are successively urged into contact with the.

related wheels, saidshouldersbeing adapted to successively engage the notches in the re-- lated wheels as the wheels arrive at some predetermined position; and locking means normally held in retracted position by said pawl and adapted to be released when the last of said wheels is locked in said predetermined position, and prevent operation of the mechanism for operating the wheels.

8. In mechanism of the class described; a

series of numbering wheels; and operating mechanism therefor; the numerals on said wheels being so arranged as to come to the position in the inverse order of their denomination whereby the count of said numbering wheels is successively reduced through the operation of said operating mechanism; and means adapted to first lock the wheel of one denomination and then in succession those of next successive denomination, as each wheel arrives at its zero position; whereby said numbering wheels are successively locked one at a time against further operation by said operating. mechamsm. v

9. In mechanism as setforth in claim 8; means for locking said operating mechanism when the last of said wheels is locked.

10. In mechanism as set forth in claim 8; the numbering wheels each-having a notch; and the locking means including a member having shoulders adapted to successively engage the notches in the numbering wheels, as said wheels beginning with thatof one denomination successively reach zero position.

11.7111 mechanism as set forth in claim 8; the numbering wheels each having a notch; and the locking means including a member having shoulders adapted to successively engage the notches in the numbering wheels, as said wheels beginning with that of one denomination successively reach zero position and means for preventing operation of said operating mechanism when the last of said numeral wheels is locked.

12. In mechanism as set forth in claim 8;" the numbering wheels each having a notch formed in the periphery thereof; and the locking means including a pawl having shoulders thereon adapted to successively hear one at a time upon the peripheries of the related numbering wheels so as to successively engage the notches therein as each numbering wheel, beginning with that of one denomination arrives at its zero position.

13. In mechanism as set forthin claim 8; the numbering wheels each having a notch formed in the periphery thereof; and the locking means including a pawl having shoulders thereon adapted to successively bear one at a time upon the peripheries of the related numbering wheels so as to successively engage the notches therein as each numbering wheel, beginning with that of one denomination, arrives at its zero position; and means adapted to be released by said pawl for preventing operation of the wheel operating mechanism when the last of the numeral wheels is locked.

- 14. A device of the class described, com

prising printingmechanism including a plurality of movable type carriers and operating mechanism therefor, each of said type carriers having a notch formed therein, and

means normally and continually in contact with'one or more of said carriers and arranged to engage the respective notches as each type carrier arrives at some predetermined position whereby said type carriers are locked one at a time against further 0pera'tion by said operating mechanism;

- 15. A device of the class described, comprising printing mechanism including a plu rality of movable type carriers and operating mechanism therefor, members movable with said type carriers and each having a notch in theface thereof, and a pluralit of corresponding shoulders interconnecte so that one at a time said shoulders are normally urged into contact with the faces of the respective carriers, said shoulders being adaptedto engage the respective notches as each type carrier arrives at some predetermined position whereby said type carriers are locked one at a time against further operation by said operating mechanism.

16. A device of the class described, comprising printing mechanism including a plurality of rotatable type carriers and operating mechanism therefor, members movable with said type carriers and each having a notch in the periphery thereof, and a pawl having a pluralityof shoulders thereon so arranged that one at atime they are normally urged into contact with the respective peripheries of said members, said shoulders being adapted to engage the respective notches as each type carrier arrives at some predetermined position whereby said type carriers are successively locked one at a time against further operation by said operating mechanism.

17. A device of the class described, comprising printing mechanism including a plurality of movable type carriers and operating mechanism therefor, notched members movable with said type carriers, a pawl having shoulders thereon respectively adapted to successively engage the notches in said members when said type carriers arrive at some predetermined position whereby said type carriers are successively locked against further operation, and means adapted to be released by said pawl, when the last of said type carriers has been locked, for locking said operating mechanism.

18. A device of the class described, comprising a rotatable printing member, a plurality of type carriers rotatably mounted on said member, operating mechanism for said type carriers, notched members movable with said type carriers, a pawl pivotally mounted on said printing member, shoulders on said pawl respectively arranged ,in the planes of said notched members, means normally urging said pawl to cause said shoulder to bear against the peripheries of said notched members, said shoulders being adapted to successively engage the notches in the respective members as each of said type carriers arrives at some predetermined position, and locking means normally held in its retracted position by said pawl and adapted to be released when the last of said type carriers has been locked in said predetermined position, for locking said operating mechanism against further operation.

19. A device of the class described, com-i prising printing mechanism including a plurality of numbering wheels having the numerals thereon so arranged with respect to the operating pawl as to come to the printing position in the inverse order of their denomination, whereby the count of said numbering wheels is successively reduced operating mechanism for actuating said numbering wheels, each of said numbering wheels having a notch formed in the periphery thereof, and a pawl having shoulders thereon adapted to hear one at a time upon the respective peripheries of said numbering wheels so as to engage the notches therein when each of said numbering wheels, beginning with that of the highest order, arrives at its zero position, whereby said numbering wheels are successively locked one at a time against further operation by said operating mechanism.

20. A device of the class described, comprising a series of numbering wheels, operating mechanism therefor, and means normally and continually in contact with one or I more of said numbering wheels and arranged to lock first the wheel of one denomination and then those of next successive denomination in succession as each wheel arrives at its zero position, whereby said numbering wheels are successively locked one at a time against further operation by said operating mechanism.

QLA device of the class described, comprising a series of numbering wheels, operating mechanism therefor, the numerals on said wheels being arranged so as to come to the printing position in the inverse order of their denomination whereby the count of said numbering wheels is successively reduced through the operation of said operating mechanism, and means normally and continually in contact with one or more of said numbering wheels and arranged to lock first thewheel of highest denomination and then those of next lower denomination in succession'as each wheel arrives at its zero position, whereby said numbering wheels are successively locked one at a time against further operation by said operating mechanism.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, I afiix my signature.

ARTHUR H. PITNEY. 

